Cricket is a game that has a lot of traditions, but at the same time, it has welcomed changes that expand the game. A good example was during the 2010 Indian Premier League (IPL), where Australian great Matthew Hayden used a non-conventional implement: the Mongoose bat.
Standing out with its short blade and long handle, this bat soon found itself in the limelight. Hayden played one of the greatest innings in IPL history, scoring 93 off just 43 balls against the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals).
The Mongoose bat received much attention and broke the silence in the cricket fraternity while at the same time raising issues on whether it is legal, feasible, and the future of technological advancement in Cricket.
This article is an ode to the long lost and forgotten mongoose bat that was last seen in the hands of Matthew Hayden. Today, we will dive into the question of what happened to mongoose bats?
The Mongoose Bat in Hayden’s Chennai Super Kings’ Era: A look at its Popularity
During the 2010 IPL, Hayden of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) brought the Mongoose bat into the limelight. Its most conspicuous feature was the reduced blade, which was about 33% smaller than the conventional cricket bat with a longer handle.
This novelty was to provide the batsman with additional hitting power, particularly during forward and aggressive shots. His endorsement of the Mongoose bat brought it into the limelight, and people started learning about it all around the world.
Hayden was one of the leading players in world cricket at the time, and therefore, using the bat in crucial matches created a lot of interest among the followers of the game and even the opponents. Some people were looking forward to using the bat and seeing if it would really provide the added power.
The match against Delhi Daredevils, where he notched up 93 runs using the Mongoose, became one of the most memorable moments of IPL. People found it funny that Hayden, who was already a man of great muscle and might, could use the funny-looking bat to generate so much power.
Mr. IPL, Raina remembered this knock as one of the best he had ever witnessed. The media followed suit, and the Mongoose bat was hailed as the new weapon for power play in the T20 format of the game. Not even CSK captain MS Dhoni was immune to the appreciation of the innings, despite his initial reluctance towards the new bat.
Is It Legal To Use A Mongoose Bat In Cricket?
However, with the increasing buzz, several cricket fans were keen to know whether the Mongoose bat was legal according to the laws of Cricket. The MCC, which is the custodian of the laws of Cricket, has set down some parameters in relation to the cricket bat, and the most important ones are the dimensions of the blade part of the bat in terms of length, width, and profile.
The Mongoose bat, however, had an unconventional shape, and all its dimensions were within the legal specifications, thus making it legal. The short blade and the long handle, which might have looked quite strange, adhered to the allowable standards. In short, Mongoose bat is completely legal to be used in cricket.
However, its legal aspect did not stop controversies from brewing within the cricket fraternity. Some thought that the bat provided an unfair edge to the big hitters, as they could easily launch even reasonable deliveries to the boundary. Others wondered whether the Mongoose could be incorporated into the game on a more permanent basis and what impact it would have on the game beyond the realm of big hitting.
MS Dhoni on Mongoose Bat
Like any other piece of equipment, Hayden took with the Mongoose bat, not everyone was happy about it. The people who believed Cricket should be played the ‘right’ way were not very receptive to such changes. They apprehended that the use of such equipment as Mongoose would impair the equilibrium between the bat and ball and thereby would make Cricket a game of power alone.
MS Dhoni, the captain of Chennai Super Kings, also had some concerns about the bat in the beginning. Hayden shared a behind-the-scenes story about how Dhoni had discouraged him from using the bat as he knew some of its demerits. ”Please do not use it,” Dhoni reportedly said, fearing that the short blade could put Hayden in the line of fire against the bowlers.
Dhoni, a man considered to be cool-headed and tactical-minded, was not the only one who had such concerns. A few players and analysts were concerned that the bat would cause a problem in the overall execution of the player, particularly in Test cricket.
It was not criticism that was a result of the playing style that was adopted. Some people even questioned whether the Mongoose bat was taking Cricket a bit too far in terms of technological innovations, something which seemed to have already happened in other sports such as tennis and golf. It was also fear that these advances could in some way cheapen the sport and that through the use of equipment, the latter-day player was unlikely to develop the same levels of skill and technique as their predecessors.
Cricketers Who Have Used the Mongoose Bat
Though Matthew Hayden is the most prominent personality who has used the Mongoose bat, he was not the only one who did. Some foreign players also tried it out, especially because of the claims that the bat can increase hitting power. However, none of them could make as big an impact as Hayden did during his IPL tenure with CSK.
Andrew Symonds
One of the prominent and contemporary name to Matthew Hayden, for using the mongoose bat, has to be that of Andrew Symonds. Known for smashing the ball a long way, it doesn’t come as a surprise that he choose to be the bearer of the short handled bazooka.
He played with the bat in the 201
This was mainly because of the bat’s uniqueness, and not everyone could find their interest in it. It was good for power hitters, especially in the shorter version of the game, such as the T20s, but it wasn’t very effective for the longer version of the game. A lot of players, including those who are often termed aggressive batters, complained that the Mongoose bat affected the control and technicalities of the game. It is similar to the story of domestic players who also experimented with the bat, but most of them decided to go back to the usual design.
Others said they preferred the previous model as it was easier to control than the new one, which was labelled as ‘unwieldy’. New dimensions and, above all, the shortened blade demanded new tactics, which not every player could adapt to. Furthermore, bowlers, especially spin and swing bowlers, complained that with the Mongoose bat, players were easy to get out, especially those playing deliveries to the stumps or the body.
The Impact of the Mongoose Bat
Even though the fame of the Mongoose bat was short-lived, it is still an interesting story in the history of Cricket. Although it may not have resulted in a revolution in the design of the bat, it did provide an example of how things in the cricketing world can be changed. Although it never became an institution, it made everyone in the cricketing fraternity consider the balance between tradition and innovation.
Hayden’s use of the bat in the 2010 IPL will remain one of the greatest highlights in the world of T20 cricket. It is hard to forget how he used to dominate bowlers with his bat as if it were a child’s toy on the cricket grounds. Since then, bats have undergone changes, with manufacturers trying different dimensions, weights, and materials, but none can match the originality of the Mongoose bat.
Therefore, the Mongoose bat’s strength is in its audacity. While Hayden’s connection with the bat endorsed it, it was the bat that could question the rules of the game, and this is why it became talked about. Loved or hated, the Mongoose bat shall forever be a reminder of how Cricket continues to welcome innovations while at the same time cherishing its age-old customs.
The Mongoose bat may not have been a permanent addition to Cricket, but it made sure to make an impact. It revolutionized power-hitting, especially in the T20 format, which is a format that is based on innovation and aggression. Hayden’s sheer bravado of using such a bat during the final of the IPL shall be etched in history as a bold move. Cricket is a sport that has almost not changed over the years, but the Mongoose bat is a testimony that even sports that are traditionally dull can throw a spanner in the works.
